Corporate debt defaults soared 80% in 2023 and could be high again this year, S&P says

Corporate debt defaults soared last year and could be a problem again in 2024 as cash-strapped companies deal with the burden of high interest rates, S&P Global Ratings reported Tuesday.

The number of companies that failed to make required payments on their debt totaled 153 for 2023, up from 85 the year before, an increase of 80%. It was the highest default rate outside of the Covid-related spike in 2020 in seven years.

Much of the total came from low-rated companies that had negative cash flows, high debt burdens and weak liquidity, S&P said. From a sector standpoint, consumer-facing companies — media and entertainment in particular — led the defaults.

S&P said there could be hard times ahead for corporate America, which, according to the Federal Reserve, is carrying a $13.7 trillion debt load. Company debt has jumped 18.3% since 2020 as companies took advantage of the Fed slashing interest rates in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In 2024, we expect further credit deterioration globally, predominantly at the lower end of the rating scale (rated ‘B-’ or below), where close to 40% of issuers are at risk of downgrades,” the firm wrote. “We expect financing costs to remain elevated despite the prospect of rate cuts. And while borrowers have reduced their 2024 maturities, a large share of speculative-grade debt is expected to mature in 2025 and 2026.”

Some economists worry that a “corporate debt cliff” could become a more serious problem as a large share of maturing debt that initially was financed at very low rates comes due in the next few years.

The burden, both in the U.S. and globally, could be exacerbated by “slower economic growth and higher financing costs” that could contribute to defaults, S&P said. Along with media and entertainment, the firm sees potential trouble spots in consumer products and retail because of a weaker economy “and the already elevated number of weakest links in those sectors.”

But the damage won’t be isolated in those areas, as S&P sees higher rates causing more widespread pain to sectors such as health care, which is suffering from elevated debt and staffing problems that are constraining revenue.

Fed rate cuts are expected to alleviate the burden somewhat, though rates are expected to remain elevated at least through 2024. While markets think the central bank could cut short-term rates as much as 1.5 percentage points this year, Fed officials have indicated a slower course of perhaps half that much, depending on how the inflation data unfolds.